Chapter 102: Brothers

Lu Man was dressed in a set of brocade jacket with a peony pattern, provided by the mansion, paired with a saffron soft satin lotus embroidered skirt.

In the center of her hair bun, she adorned a phoenix hairpin set with pearls and jade inlaid in red gold, flanked by two jade plum flower hairpins. Additionally, she wore two chrysanthemum-shaped red gold hairpins at her temples.

With a moderately elegant makeup look, she wore a pair of white jade bracelets on her wrists.

Mama Wang looked at her affectionately, exclaiming, “Truly a young mistress from the Princess Changting’s household.”

Liu Ya chimed in, “This kind of grace and demeanor that Third Young Madam possesses, if she claimed to be a princess or a noble lady, no one would doubt it.”

Lu Ying, also dressed up, joined them. She wore a sky-blue silk jacket skirt, adorned with two gold hairpins and three silver hairpins. Her makeup was slightly heavier, making her quite a beautiful girl, although the mix of gold and silver hairpins looked a bit gaudy together.

Seeing Lu Ying in her attire, Mama Wang jokingly remarked, “Oh my, our Lu Ying now looks like a young lady from a wealthy family.”

This brought a smile to Lu Ying’s face.

Lu Man then took out two second-grade jade and pearl hairpins from her vanity box and instructed Lu Ying, “Remove those three silver hairpins and wear these two instead.”

Lu Ying was delighted, thanked her, and sat down to let Liu Ya help rearrange her hairstyle.

From her vanity box, Lu Man also retrieved a red gold lotus hairpin with gems, placed it in a brocade box. This was a gift for her elder sister, Lu Yu. During the years in the Lu family, Lu Man noticed that Lu Yu was the only one who had not mistreated her. Lu Yu would occasionally give her advice, although Lu Man didn’t always heed it. Lu Man even took some of Lu Yu’s dowry items when she got married, feeling a pang of guilt for the young girl.

Within the Lu family, Lu Man held some goodwill only towards Lu Yu.

Furthermore, she couldn’t help but feel envious of the shallow-minded Mrs. Xiao Chen and her daughter, Lu Yuan.

Xing, following Lu Man’s instructions, sought out Hong Ling. Standing at the doorway, she said, “Sister Hong Ling, I will accompany Third Young Madam back to the Lu family. She asked me to inquire if you need anything or any messages for your parents.”

Hong Ling, currently suffering from a rash all over her body and frequent bowel movements due to illness, was lying weakly on the bed. Hearing Xing’s words, she resented her sickness as she could not flaunt herself at the Lu family.

If Xing hadn’t asked, she might have let it go. But since she had inquired, despite her reluctance, she reluctantly rose to open her trunk containing her personal items. After a few months at the Princess Changting’s household, where she didn’t have to spend money on her expenses, received a good monthly allowance, and occasional rewards from Lu Man, she had managed to save a considerable amount in secret.

She took out five hundred wen of money to give to her parents and prepared a set of freshly washed clothes for her younger sister. She wrapped them up in cloth and handed them to Xing, saying, “Thank you for your help, Xing.”

Unable to leave the house at the moment, she relied on these maids for many tasks. She not only refrained from asserting her authority over them as she did before but was also extra polite, fearing they might spread rumors about her “strange illness.”

Accompanied by Liu Ya, Lu Ying, Xing, and two maids, Lu Man rode a cart to the outer courtyard.

Lu Xin, accompanied by a young man, was already waiting in the outer courtyard to escort Lu Man.

Lu Xin, eighteen years old, of average height, slightly thin, and with a gentle appearance, was known to be well-educated, having passed the provincial examination at the age of fifteen. Lu Man had a vague memory of him, but she had never seen the teenage boy by his side.

Lu Xin was genuinely surprised to see the transformation in his cousin. She had not only slimmed down and become more beautiful but her demeanor had changed significantly. Her features were exquisite, exuding a calm elegance that was a far cry from the lively chubby girl she once knew. Seeing her adorned with pearls and jewels in luxurious attire, it seemed like her days at the Princess Changting’s household were prosperous, contradicting the idea of her being neglected as Second Aunt (Mrs. Xiao Chen) had claimed.

Concerns about the challenges the Lu family might face arose in his mind, especially considering the mistreatment Lu Man had received from their grandmother and Second Aunt over trivial matters, and the family’s previous indifference towards her.

Suppressing his turbulent emotions, he approached Lu Man with a smile, saying, “After a few months, Second Sister has become even more outstanding.”

Lu Man smiled back without a word. Due to the estrangement between them in the past, Lu Man regarded him as a stranger.

Unperturbed, Lu Xin maintained his humble and friendly demeanor, then pointed to the young man beside him, introducing him, “This is younger brother Lu Chang, who just returned from the north with uncle.”

Lu Chang stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Younger brother greets Second Sister.”

He turned out to be Lu Chang, the legitimate eldest son of her mother’s former maid, now the concubine of Lu Fangrong, Bao Qin.

With good genetics in the Lu family, both males and females were tall with fair skin. Despite being only twelve years old, Lu Chang was just half a head shorter than Lu Xin. Perhaps due to growing up in the north, his skin was slightly tanned, and he had a sunny disposition and small tiger teeth when he smiled—a polite and cheerful young man.

Lu Man’s emotions towards this child were conflicting. Because of the previous Lu Man’s relationship with Bao Qin, she harbored deep hatred towards him, yet she felt it was unfair to direct her anger towards this child.

She remained silent, nodding and giving him a smile.

Lu Man and the three maids boarded a grand horse-drawn carriage, while the two maids rode in a regular carriage, carrying half a carriage of gifts. Accompanied by over ten guards, they shared the carriage with Lu Xin and Lu Chang, and exited through the northwest corner gate.

After boarding the carriage, Lu Chang excitedly remarked to Lu Xin, “Second Sister looks really beautiful, like a fairy.” Pulling back the curtain, they passed by the main gate of the Princess Changting’s mansion—a grand entrance with five rooms, a roof adorned with green glazed tiles, a crimson door studded with nine rows of large copper nails, and two imposing stone lions in front.

Lu Chang continued praising, “Princess Changting’s mansion is truly luxurious beyond measure. Judging by Second Sister’s appearance, she doesn’t seem to be living as poorly as Grandma and Mother claimed.”

Watching Lu Chang’s admiring expression, Lu Xin thought to himself, “She may look beautiful, but the more luxurious her life becomes, the more unfortunate it will be for your birth mother, including the Lu family…”

Located to the south of the capital city, Princess Changting’s mansion was a considerable distance from the Lu family in the west, taking over half an hour to reach by carriage.

Assisted by the maids, Lu Man alighted from the carriage, surveying the long yet narrow alleyway. The former Lu Man was mischievous as a child and occasionally snuck out to play, hence she had memories of this street.

Outside the Lu family’s gate stood two young men. One was the illegitimate son of the eldest son, Lu Ming, thirteen years old. The other, a younger boy, was likely Lu Fangrong’s second son, Lu Feng, who had just turned ten. They were appointed to welcome their elder sister back to her natal home.

On either side of the neighbors’ gates, many onlookers had gathered, witnessing the spectacle of the once troublesome Second Young Miss of the Lu family now returning in such grandeur and elegance. They were whispering in disbelief at her regal demeanor, unable to fathom the transformation of the formerly loud and unruly Second Young Miss of the Lu family.

As Lu Man disembarked from the carriage, both Lu Ming and Lu Feng approached, bowing respectfully and greeting her, “Younger brother greets Second Sister.”